Parade roars in Philadelphia

Tens of thousands of baseball fans roared with pride and jubilation as the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies rode flatbed trucks Friday in the city's first sports title parade in 25 years.

Tens of thousands of baseball fans roared with pride and jubilation as the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies rode flatbed trucks Friday in the city's first sports title parade in 25 years.

Left fielder Pat Burrell led the procession, pumping his fists and riding on a horse-drawn carriage. Next came several flatbed trucks filled with players and other members of the Phillies organization. The Phanatic, the furry green team mascot, danced on one truck and manager Charlie Manuel held the championship trophy aloft.

Spectators in Phillies gear thronged downtown sidewalks, making them almost impassable. So fans climbed trees, hung out of windows, watched from balconies, brought stepladders and stood on roofs to get a better view.

Surging crowds pushed onto the streets at some intersections, leaving just enough room for the trucks and their police escorts to pass. Fans took to the streets to trail the parade as it went by.

The confetti-filled procession was expected to take about 90 minutes to get from the heart of the city to the sports complex in South Philadelphia, about four miles away.

There, the team is expected to be greeted by another hundred thousand fans watching the festivities on big screens at the city's baseball and football stadiums. Phillies players will attend a rally at Citizens Bank Park and make a brief appearance at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles play.

The last time a Philadelphia team won a major championship was in 1983, when the 76ers won the NBA title. The Phillies won their only other World Series in 1980.

Nick and Patricia Gavin of suburban Delaware County, who were children when they attended the 1980 parade, brought their own downtown on Friday.

Jaclyn, 10, planned to dress as a Phillies ball girl later in the day for Halloween, but 8-year-old brother Nicholas was too excited about the World Series win to think about trick or treating.